Big Opportunity Looms For Bulls Saturday Night
December 15, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The South Florida women's basketball team has entered the critical stretch of its non-conference season.
Saturday night, the Bulls (7-3) host the No. 3-ranked NC State Wolfpack (10-0) at the Yuengling Center. NC State is the highest-ranked non-UConn opponent to visit USF.
Next Thursday at West Palm Beach, the Bulls will face the No. 10-ranked Baylor Bears (8-0).
"To be the best you can be, you've got to play the best,'' Coach Jose Fernandez said. "That has always been our philosophy."
"I think we'll be a different team in January than we were in November and December. And hopefully, we will hit our stride in March. That's always what you're working towards. Playing great competition always pays off later in the season.''
The Bulls are hoping for better results than earlier results against major-conference competition. USF fell at Alabama 70-41, then was defeated by No. 12 Texas 76-44 at the Paradise Jam.
"Texas just overwhelmed us with their pressure,'' Fernandez said. "We couldn't make shots. It was bad. So, against NC State, we have to make shots and we have to rebound the basketball. That's my biggest concern. They're having a really nice season and the way they play on the interior is impressive.''
NC State, unranked in the preseason poll, has risen to No. 3 on the strength of victories against UConn (92-81) and Colorado (78-60).
The Wolfpack are led by 5-foot-9 junior guard Aziaha James (16.4 points per game, 4.1 rebounds), 6-1 junior guard Saniya Rivers (13.7 points, 5.9 rebounds) and 6-foot guard Madison Hayes (10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds), plus leading rebounder River Baldwin, a 6-5 senior center who averages 7.0 rebounds and 9.5 points. The Wolfpack are 11th nationally in rebounding at 46.5.
Meanwhile, the Bulls are getting good offensive play from freshman guard Vittoria Blasigh, who's averaging 15.0 points after a 31-point effort against Gardner-Webb.
"It's important for us to play well,'' Bulls point guard Aerial Wilson said. "We have struggled somewhat in the early season. I think it has been a wake-up call to see what we need to do to improve. Now we're getting big tests again in this upcoming stretch."
"I think we've really had to take a good hard look at ourselves in the mirror and decide how we're going to approach things differently. We haven't had a lot of games like that since I've been here. It stinks to have dropped those games, but it doesn't really matter how you start. It's about how you finish. We've got to keep getting better and keep playing like I know we can.''
Joey Johnston
Athletics Senior Writer
